A carer who robbed a severely disabled woman in her own home has been jailed for 10 years.

Maria Strano, aged 45, fought back tears and shook her head as the lengthy sentence was handed down at Plymouth Crown Court on Tuesday.

The court had heard she left her 54-year-old victim, who suffers from cerebral palsy and only has the use of her right arm, fearing for her life as she lay in her bed.

Strano had been employed as a carer for several years, with a host of positive character references and had attended her victim’s Plymouth home on July 23 last year as a temporary carer, one of a number who regularly attended the woman.

The Italian initially told the court she was home that night in Bodmin but her car was caught on camera crossing the Tamar Bridge before and after the robbery. She then made up the remarkable story of travelling all the way to Plymouth in the early hours to buy cannabis.

At her sentencing hearing her advocate Emmi Wilson said that Strano, who has given an address in Sicily, arrived in the UK 15 years ago with her partner who passed away in 2012 following a heart attack.

She was living in Swindon but moved to Bodmin in 2016 having already worked in the care industry – occasionally as a live-in carer for a number of years.

Plymouth Crown Court (Image: File image)

Ms Wilson noted how Strano had also cared for her 87-year-old mother who remained in Sicily, but feared she would not see her mother alive again if she was jailed for any substantial amount of time.

Ms Wilson said Strano had been held on remand since she was found guilty and had got a job in the prison garden and had begun an Open University course.

Judge James Townsend described the matter as a “very serious robbery” adding it was “in many ways as serious an offence of its type as is possible”.

He noted how the victim was a “highly vulnerable woman”.

Maria Strano (Image: Devon and Cornwall Police)

He said Strano had returned to the property and, despite using a mask and disguising her voice, was recognised by the victim.

He said Strano had demanded to know where the CCTV set up was, made threats and removed the emergency button.

He said she remained in the property for 40 minutes before stealing the victim’s computer which was “very important to [the victim] as a means to communicate with the world”.